Come together

Come together

Covid-19 affects education by Brenttia O. Clayton

Special to the Democrat-Gazette

Brenttia O. Clayton is a fourth-grade ELA Teacher, 2020 Teacher of the Year, and founder of Teachable Moments.

May 21, 2020

“We Are the World” is a 1985 classic written by the late Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie. This song speaks of uniting the world when we need it most. Fast-forward 35 years later and those words seem more fitting for our current season.

The covid-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the world and resulted in Arkansas schools being closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic school year. The closing has shaken not only the parents as they try to navigate resources for unexpected homeschooling, but also teachers and school administrators.

This pandemic has left parents and educators wondering what the possible effects of long school closures on children’s short-term learning and long-term success might be, especially for children who lack sufficient resources.

There is no surprise that one size does not fit all when it comes to education. Unfortunately, in this case, the achievement gap has been stretched even more due to a number of disparities, one being socioeconomic status. Children with two college-educated parents may get a lot more help and enrichment than those who don’t, especially if their parents are financially stable and have access to technology on top of flexible work schedules….